Enter the H6

At Bad Ferret, we have had two distinct audio solutions that we've used for the last couple of years. For our big audio package for large multi-track audio performances or events we utilize a Tascam US-1800 audio interface plugged into our production laptop. This setup enables us to record up to 16 indendent audio feeds each at 96kHz/24bit. This is the primary setup we used during filming Massé for audio capture. Our other solution has been recording with a Zoom H4n portable field recorder.  This is our most common solution, and is primarily used to record a couple mic inputs, again at 96kHz/24bit. I would guess about 80% of our client work uses the Zoom H4n with either our Shure wireless  lav or a Rode NTG2 shotgun mic, or both.

The H4n has worked well for us. My only real complaints was it's method of needing to navigate menu screens to adjust the volume of each channel, and that the preamps would begin to introduce noticeable noise if you started to push the levels at all. The later could be a problem when using the H4n with the Rode NTG2, as these mics don't have the hottest output level. So at times I would find myself needing to boost the levels in the Zoom to get the NTG2's levels where I wanted them, and starting to introduce unwanted noise.

Now we have recently purchased a Zoom H6 for Bad Ferret, and things have changed... for the better! The H6 preamps, so far, have proven to be superior to the H4n's in both noise floor and overall gain. With the NTG2's I can raise the levels to where I want and not get an appreciable increase in noise from the preamps. I also seem to get more overall gain out of the H6 preamps compared to the H4n.  Mind you, this is all my opinion from informal testing, but to me the results are very positive. The H6 also has volume knobs for each channel's gain, so I no longer have to scroll through menus to change levels.  Just these two points here make me a very happy guy.

However, there is still more benefit from the H6 to enjoy. It is now capable of recording 6 channels of audio in 96kHz/24bit. It comes with four XLR 1/4 inch combo jacks each that can supply phantom power. You also have the XY mics or the mid side mic that comes with the unit. In addition, there is the option of a shotgun mic attachment or a dual XLR (no phantom) attachment instead of the mic options that came with the H6. We purchased the additional shotgun mic. So far in my informal testing I've found the H6 XY mics to be slightly superior to the ones on the H4n. They are heavier and feel more study to begin with, and sound wise they "seem" to capture a slightly fuller sound. The shotgun attachment mic is also nice. It's side rejection seems comparable to various on-camera shotguns I've used in the past like the Rode Videomic.  Voices come through nice and clear. If I had any thought about it was that it seems a little weak at capturing very low tones. However, for voices this isn't much of a concern for me, as I usually have the lows toned down when recording them.

The one real negative I have is the performance of the mid-side mic. In my testing with it, I noticed a higher noise floor than the other mics. I went online to read up on it and mid-side mics in general as they are not a type of mic I know a lot about, and I found that several others had noticed the same thing. In use, it does give slightly better positional information of sounds than the XY mic, and in a quiet situation when you could keep the level very low it might be perfectly usable. However, I don't see it as being much use to me in the normal situations that Bad Ferret works with.

One last note I would be remiss not to mention is that it has a "backup" mode where you can record duplicate versions of tracks 1-2 on tracks 3-4 with a -12db pad. I can see myself using this safety feature regularly, especially when recording in loud situations.

So for me the H6 retains our great portable audio solution while adding in a couple more channels, and at the same time offering a noticeable increase in fidelity.  I'm very pleased with what is turning out to be a worthwhile upgrade.

Jay Taylor